Scrambled egg products are highly valued as a food source, due to their nutrition value and particularly in view of their flavor, mouth feel and other organoleptic qualities. There are different styles of preparation of scrambled eggs. It is possible, for example to simply bake or fry the eggs to form a solid mass that is in fact edible. A more tender and generally organoleptically desirable style of scrambled eggs is the so called “French-style scrambled egg,” wherein the eggs are cooked slowly and gently, to form a fluffy, moist texture that is not overcooked. When not properly prepared, however, scrambled eggs can be a disappointment.
Another degree of complexity is introduced when the eggs are provided in a ready-to-heat environment. For example, eggs have been pre-scrambled, packaged and frozen for later reheating. However, when the cooked eggs are frozen, ice crystals can form, and water will separate from the eggs with adverse effects. A proposed solution for the problems associated with provided precooked, frozen scrambled eggs is described in U.S. Patent Application No. 2005/0202150 and U.S. Patent Application No. 2005/0202151, wherein a water-absorbent thickener is distributed throughout the egg based material. Eggs have long been provided in a storage-stable liquid form, for example as Sunny Fresh® ESL® Products (commercially available from Cargill, Incorporated) or Egg Beaters™ liquid egg substitutes, and similar products. While these have the convenience of being storage stable under refrigeration as a liquid, they require that the person responsible to prepare the food have both time and skill in preparation of eggs to form the desired egg product.
While the consumer demands excellence in organoleptic qualities of the food they consume, there is an equally strong demand for convenience in both storage and preparation. Microwave cooking presents significant advantages in convenience of preparation, but it is exceptionally difficult to meet food quality standards when using this form of heating. The disadvantages of microwave heating have been widely experienced, mostly in that the final microwaved food product tends to have a dry, tough and chewy texture, particularly on the perimeter of the food product.